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“As does Harpy,” Nym said.

“How do you know?” I asked, looking around.

“I can see him,” was all Nym replied to that.

“Our turn!” Arthur grinned, then he shifted to a pegasus too, a see-through one. He was glorious. He didn’t really seem corporeal, his form misty and shifting like smoke.

“I really want to touch you,” I whispered, and he stepped closer, bumping his head against my hand. He felt firm and warm under my touch. “You can run now,” I whispered, feeling my eyes tear up. “Go and I’ll follow you, feel the wind in your hair, my darling. I’ll always follow.”

His eyes were glassy as he stared back at me. My mate turned around, and then he ran. I shifted and welcomed my new bird form. It was huge and I felt a charging sort of magic in my wings. We weren’t just birds! We were thunderbirds!

I cawed loudly and then flew, following my mate like I’d promised to do. Everyone else was invisible, but we didn’t hit anyone as we chased the high of being alive.

Epilogue

Five years later.

“You look fucking edible!” I exclaimed, walking around Arthur as he continued to set his hair.

He winked. “Not so bad yourself, mate.”

Smiling, I stood behind his back, hugging him tight. My darling was so perfect. “You ready?” I asked once he was done playing with his hair.

“Yeah, you think the others have arrived?”

I shook my head as I walked over to the huge windows in our living room. We had an entire wing for ourselves, as did all of my siblings, but we were the ones with the perfect view of the backyard, in my opinion. “Just my fathers messing around with decorations,” I chuckled.

Today we would celebrate Tilda, Myve and Hans’ daughter. She was turning one and everyone was invited for the occasion. That meant my cousins, their mates, and my uncles were coming. I was seeing my cousins more often, but I still missed them like crazy after those two years we'd spent together. Arthur felt the same, the bond we’d formed with their mates as well just something we would always have between us. We wanted to keep the bonds, so every month we tried to meet up.

“Is that an ice sculpture?” Arthur asked, sounding both amused and terrified.

I laughed, hugging him tightly to my side, kissing his temple. “Are you even surprised?”

“Honestly? No, but still, I hadn’t expected to see Tilda in ice.”

I just smiled at that as we stood there, looking down at my family as they hurried around to get everything in order. We had so many servants in the palace, but still my fathers had to be involved as much as they could. It was cute, really. We’d had no trouble with Arthur’s family or his former betrothed, we also knew we never would. My father Cole, who knew much more than anyone else about our world, had told us that we were so far away from his former kingdom, they couldn’t get to us. Nor could we get to them. Arthur had since then been able to truly live without fear, a wonderful thing to witness.

“I think I see Jamie!” he exclaimed, then hurried toward our door, intent on seeing his bestie. Jamie and him had taken a liking to one another, like they were brothers in a former life or something. I loved how close they were and Casey seemed completely okay with sharing his best friend with my mate.

With a fond smile on my face, I followed my mate down the stone staircase and then outside to the big garden. Guests had started arriving a little while ago. Many were chatting and laughing amongst themselves, and those people I tried to avoid. I was still not huge on people, just my people.

Jamie and Arthur were hugging and smiling widely at one another, so I hugged Casey as we waited for them to get done with their reunion.

“What cake are we getting, do you know?” Casey whispered.

I leaned closer to his side, whispering. “There’s two. One with vanilla and strawberry and one with chocolate and chocolate mousse.”

“We need both.”

I nodded. “Definitely.”

“Drinks?” he asked.

“The good fae wine, don’t worry.”

Letting out a relieved sigh, he nodded. “I’ve been waiting for that cake for months.”

“Gods,” I groaned. “Me, too.”